Without a doubt, one of the most important aspects to any SEO campaign is building quality back links. But creating a good network of links takes both time and research - remember to put quality before quantity. One of the most common places to acquire high quality links is through both paid and free directories.
But with the thousands, if not millions of directories online, which are the most valuable to link to?
Here are a few quick tips to help determine a valuable directory:
1. Determine the Page Strength
And I'm not just talking about Google PageRank. It's been known for awhile that the simplified PageRank (which is most commonly seen in the Google Toolbar) is not actually your real PageRank; that is a much more complex number kept by Google. Although don't delete your toolbar just yet, PageRank can be a good first impression. If a directory, especially a paid one, has a PR below 2, chances are it's not worth the link.
Another common form of page ranking is the Alexa Ranking System. Like Google PageRank, it's more of a safety net than a valuable resource, but generally directories which fall below the 100,000 mark on the Alexa scale are going to be worthy of a link.
I prefer to use the LinkScape tool over at seomoz to determine Page Strength. It provides more detailed data than both Google PageRank and the Alexa Ranking. They offer a number of free tools, but if you're serious about pursuing SEO, you should definitely sign up for a PRO account.
Here are some things to keep in mind when evaluating Page Strength:
Don't Just Check the Page Strength of the Home Page
Is your link going to be placed on the homepage of the directory? Chances are no.
Check the Page Strength to the Page Your Linking To
Before submitting a link, find the page on the directory where your link will appear. Look to see how the links are organized (a lot of them do it by PR, some sort on a first-come-first-serve basis; others have a bidding system, etc.). If you're link is going to end up on a low ranking page of a directory, you probably shouldn't submit. It's true the overall strength of the domain will help build your link strength, but the page your link appears on is more important than anything else.
2. How Many Links Are On the Page
How many other links are on the page you're link will be on?
Too many links on a page can negatively affect their value. If you're link is going to be added to a page with 100 other links, unless that page has an incredibly high Page Strength, you're not going to be seeing much benefit.
Stick to directories and categories with a low number of links per page and high Page Strength. Many times you can list your site in a sub-category, or a similar category that contains less links and decent page strength.
3. Is the Directory Indexed?
Is the directory you're submitting to index by Google, Yahoo, and Bing? If it's not, it's pretty much worthless. The only way those links are going to count is if Google, Yahoo, or Bing, says they do.
Here is a nifty trick to see if a site is indexed. Use this string in any search engine: site: www.yourwebsite.com the results will be which pages the search engine has indexed.
Google's Webmaster Tools can provide excellent data on which of your back links are being recognized by Google. A single directory submission can result in a number of quality back links.
4. Use Keywords in the Anchor Text
Adding keywords to your anchor text is highly encouraged, so finding a directory that allows you to use keywords in your anchor text is a definite plus.
A lot of higher profile directories won't allow you to put anything but your business name in the anchor text, but most of the smaller or mid-ranged directories (that still maintain good Page Strength) will allow you to place keywords and descriptive titles in your anchor text.
Example:
Good Listing: Search Engine Optimization Orange County
Bad Listing: Omikron Media
5. Expensive Directories Aren't Always the Best Source of Links
It's true. The most valuable links sometimes come from the most inexpensive sources.
While I would definitely recommend some high end directories like Yahoo or Best of the Web, some of your most valuable back links can be generated from lesser known and much more inexpensive directories.
The Yahoo Directory ($299 annually) can provide dozens - in some cases hundreds - of quality back links from a single submission. Best of the Web ($299.95 one-time) can provide multiple, high quality back links.
The absolute best directory online for quality back links doesn't cost anything at all; although getting listed in there is quite a challenge. DMOZ is the largest and most respected human edited directory on the internet; it's also free. Except getting a link approved could take months, sometimes years, and sometimes never.
6. Purchase Featured Listings
If you're listing to a directory, especially an inexpensive one, consider purchasing a featured listing. I know a lot of directories will claim that this leads to more traffic to your site, but it really doesn't. Don't kid yourself, nobody uses directories for search results; they're used to build quality back links.
Sometimes the difference of a few dollars can buy a lot more than a single link. Many directories will place featured listings on every page of their selected category; meaning multiple quality back links.
7. Submit Deep Links Where Available
Deep Links are links to your website other than the index page. Every page of your website has the opportunity to rank well in search results, so when you get the chance to submit one, do it.
Some inexpensive directories will allow deep links with a standard or featured listing, take advantage of these offers when available, never deny the opportunity to submit deep links.
